Consumer Guide for Today's Media

So, is it just me or have you noticed an increase in the number of people that suddenly ask God to help them win money on reality TV shows?

I have noticed it most on Big Brother. The players suddenly claim to be devout followers of God at random times in the game. I think that this is great, if it is true but sad and revolting if it is false and just a ploy to gain support of Americans watching the show. Religion is personal and deeply important to people in America and throughout the world. Wars are fought in the name of people’s ideas about what they believe in. I think it is wrong to try to get votes or boost ratings by bringing religion into the mix for disgusting and self-centered purposes.

Lately on Big Brother, some of the guys have a miniature Bible study session. To me, this is great. They are educating themselves and learning about something that may become very important, or is already important, in their lives. It is in no way offensive to anyone in my opinion. This does not offend me nor make me want to change the channel and I don’t think that advertisers should even question buying ad time because of this.

What does offend me however, is when all of a sudden people in the game start to say that they are winning or being tested because of God, making it sound like they are more deserving than anyone else.

Last season’s Big Brother was the worst offender of this I have ever seen! Amber, one of the contestants claimed to be a recovering drug addict that also believed she might be a sex addict. Then she turned around and claimed that God wanted her to win the game because she deserved it more than anyone else in the house. Don’t get me wrong again, if she believes that good, great more power to her. But, to me it just seems ironic and as if faith is being used as a tool to win the game not as a tool to keep a person motivated and strong while playing and that to me goes to far on TV.

A&E aired a show awhile back called God or the Girl… Really? I thought this was joke when I read it. No, no joke this show really followed four men that were thinking about joining the clergy as priests. The show followed them as they made the decisions about leaving their girlfriends, becoming celibate and leaving the wild world behind them to serve God. Hasn’t this gone too far? Should God be used in this format to get ratings on TV or should we sit back and say no, no, no?

But then I guess there is always two sides to every story, right?

TLC has shows like Shalom in the Home. Now there is a show that uses religion and faith to help guide families through hard times in life. I guess that uses God, or faith or religion or whatever category you want to put it all in to sell commercials, get viewers and make money. Is that ok, or should that still make people upset? Should God, or any form of religion be used like Peyton Manning to sell ads even if the voice being used is positive and helpful?

Religious leaders are adamant, and have been since the beginning that most reality TV is racy and can offend many of their beliefs but I wonder how they feel about using God to make people vote for you? How do people feel about using religion and faith to get companies like Viagra to buy a 30 second spot following a show that focuses on men wanting to be priests while being tested by seductive women?

Seems a little disrespectful to me and makes me wonder, how far will networks go to encapsulate everyone, I mean every single viewer, and have a reality show that is cheap and easy to make that is tailor-made to different faiths, opinions and beliefs? This could be a good thing if it is done respectfully, but obviously people differ on what is tasteful and non-offensive. Will advertisers continue to be OK with the way in which religion is used on reality TV?

I think that viewers’ opinions and the reactions of advertisers and networks to those opinions will tell how religion and reality TV will either come together more or split very, very far apart.